Choosing The Best Virtual Office In Singapore For Your Company

The impact of COVID-19 has been tremendous. Companies worldwide have been forced to switch to working-from-mode at short notice. The central business district in Singapore has seen a drastic reduction in office crowd for most of the year 2020, ever since Singapore has gone into the circuit breaker since April 2020. We are currently at phase three and companies have allowed a 50% workforce to return to the office. Thus businesses are turning to virtual office space.

Even so, employers should have come to realise that everyone is capable of working from home by now. Virtual meeting platforms such as Zoom and Skype have seen a surge in take-up rate. In fact, many of our clients have started to explore the possibility of a virtual office to be able to work remotely worldwide and locally. The government has come up with many grants to enable such work arrangements possible.

The New Normal

Rental prices have come down slightly since the beginning of COVID-19 and many virtual and co-working spaces have appeared. They provide a number of services such as a registered business address, a concierge to receive and file your mails, a pantry space and also a dedicated phone answering service.

The following are important criteria to look out for when choosing a virtual office for yourself.

Price

As mentioned, even though rental has come down slightly, Singapore property prices in general are still considered expensive. This is why you should consider a virtual office as compared to a physical space. You can potentially save a lot on costs if you get a virtual office if your operations are small for a start. There are many different vendors out there. Some cheaper packages offer only a mailing address. Any additional services will be chargeable.

Not many virtual offices addresses are located in the downtown area with a prestigious address. You should always check for any hidden costs before engaging one.

Services

Different packages will come with different range of services. Some basic services are mail forwarding, corporate secretarial services, reception services, and so on. Some companies allow individual customers to customise the services that they need. Be sure to check the exact scope of service that they are providing you.

Subscription

Some virtual office providers require a minimum lock-in duration, so please be aware and read through the terms and conditions carefully before signing. So go with a company whom you can trust.

Termination

In the event of termination, there may be some penalties involve. You should know the terms and conditions of the contract to know what are your rights.

Location

Location of your virtual office has a direct connection with regard to the price. Your virtual office location has a direct impact on your company’s branding and image to your clients. A central location like Orchard Road or Raffles Place which is accessible to public transport will be most ideal.

Credibility

It is important to engage an established company that ‘is here to stay for good’. Some companies may open to much fanfare but eventually cannot stay afloat and goes bankrupt. This will ultimately affect your business reputation and operation.

If possible, you should find out more who are their existing clients and ask to speak to some of their clients. You will get a better sense of what is going on behind the scenes. Another important area to look out for is the state of their environment and facilities.

Quality of Services

The communication skills and language proficiency of the concierge and receptionist are important to your business image. The standard of such services provided is a good indicator of the company’s state and professionalism. The state and maintenance of common area and facilities are also good indicators. The receptionist should be prompt to answer the calls of your clients should you choose to engage one. This will definitely affect the quality of service and image projected to your clients.

High-speed internet and basic printing and scanning of documents facilities must be available at the bare minimum.

Business information security

Some time ago, there was an article on the rising demand for bodyguards trained in cybersecurity. In this digital age, a lot of your business confidential information could be stored in cloud-based programs.

The service provider should have some form of encryption, otherwise, you should be worried. Your business reputation with your clients will be affected if their information is leaked or stolen by hackers. In virtual office service, you should check the terms of the contract on mail handling and forwarding services. They should provide a cyber-secure environment.

The above factors are some factors to think about before engaging a virtual office solution provider. Virtual offices can be the way how businesses will operate in future. It is not only cost-efficient but time-efficient as well. Always find out your needs before engaging one and make sure to customise the package to your needs.

If you need such a service, you can contact us to find out more.

Download the Telegram app and follow us for the latest updates: https://t.me/sgcompanyservices